Jessica O’Connell sets Canadian 3,000m record

There is a new wave of Canadian track and field athletes on the rise. We’re only six weeks into 2019, but five Canadian indoor records have already fallen. On Saturday at the Millrose Games, Jessica O’Connell added to that list, when she ran a thrilling 8:46.50 in the 3,000m. She broke the record which had been held by Megan Metcalfe-Wright at 8:48.56. 

??? 3rd place & ?? Indoor 3000m record for @jess__oconnell at the @MillroseGames ? ? ? pic.twitter.com/bY7WAbDGiT

— Athletics Canada (@AthleticsCanada) February 9, 2019

O’Connell, who lives and trains in Calgary, finished third in the race behind Alicia Monson and Rachel Schneider of the USA. In early January, Gabriela Stafford got the ball rolling with a 5,000m indoor record which she set in Glasgow, Scotland. She followed that race up with a Canadian mile record at the Dr. Sander Invitational in New York City only three weeks later. 

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RELATED: Gabriela Stafford breaks another Canadian record

Following Stafford’s record take-downs, Jenna Westaway continued the trend, breaking the Canadian 1,000m record in Boston on Friday at the Valentine Invitational running 2:37.04, taking almost a second and a half off of the old record which was held by Dianne Cummins at 2:38.24.

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RELATED: Westaway and Arop set new Canadian records

Marco Arop of Mississippi State then ran a shocking 1:45.90 on Saturday at Clemson University, which is also the second fastest time in the world for 2019 and an NCAA top ten all-time indoors. Arop bested the Canadian indoor 800m record by over half a second, taking the record from Gary Reid, who set it at 1:46.47 in 2004.